During the initial stage, although much  health related problems were expected, the Sri Lanka Health Department was quick to mobilise multidisciplinary teams into affected areas with equipment and medication. Therefore there was very minimal support needed from the external agencies at this stage. We supplied a few items including antibiotics that are usually not available in the health service hospitals and also basic essentials such as clothing, medication and food to those in camps during this immediate post Tsunami period.

Some institutions had to deal with increased number of patients coming with chest pain and asthma etc and we supplied ECG machines and nebulisers etc as required.

We also bought a water pump to Baticaloa area to pump sea water from contaminated wells so that  these wells can be made suitable for getting drinking water.

Psychological help and support for Tsunami affected children was another need and we supported the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) in Sri Lanka who were setting up homes for these children.

The biggest need was housing. The Sri Lankan government had a major task in identifying those who lost their homes and allocating land as rebuilding was banned from a zone 100 meters from the sea front. This delay meant large number of people were living in tents that are not suitable for the hot and humid climate in Sri Lanka. We contributed to the safe bottle project so that those in tents had safe kerosine oil lamps (there was no electricity supply to the tents) to use minimising injuries resulting from burns.

Finally, we linked up with the oldest charity in Sri Lanka “Friend in Need Society” to build houses in a village badly affected by the Tsunami where more than 100 houses had been wiped away.